The present invention concerns a partition wall according to the generic portion of claim 1. It thus particularly concerns a partition wall, comprising at least one wall element connected with a column via a connecting element, with the column having a number of grooves, distributed on locations around its circumference, suitable for interacting with the connecting element.
There is an almost incalculable abundance of different partition walls which can be assembled from premanufactured components (wall elements and columns). The large number of different systems is hereby primarily a consequence of these types of partition walls being intended for use in greatly differing applications. A typical field of application is the subdivision of large area offices into individual zones, whether they are open regions or closed cells, for example conference rooms. These types of partition walls are also used for the shielding of individual workplaces, for example against visibility, sound, and/or the undesired incidence of light. In addition, the use of these types of partition walls in the field of exhibitions and shows is widespread.
For partition walls, great value is placed on a flexible design. This is exhibited particularly in that the wall elements can be attached at various angles to the columns. In order to fulfill this requirement, the connection between wall elements and columns can occur in various ways. Particularly well-known are connections by means of hook-and-loop materials (e.g. CH 632034 A5), by means of magnetic forces (e.g. CH 662601 A5), by means of hooks provided on the wall elements which engage in ring grooves of the columns (e.g. DE 7222826 U1), or by means of mechanical connecting elements (e.g. clamping or locking elements) which are provided on the edges of the wall elements and which engage in longitudinal grooves of the columns (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,300, DE 2931026 A1, EP 0118411 A2, EP 0552647 A1).
Furthermore, for the attachment of two wall elements to one another, the use of connecting elements having two clamping flanges, which are parallel to one another and are connected with one another via a connecting link, with one of the flanges accommodated in a groove of an edge profile of each of the linked wall elements, is known. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,724 A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,777 A, FR 2479306 A1, GB 2051916 A, and WO 95/28532 form a relevant prior art in relation to the latter mentioned type of connection of two wall elements with one another.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,539 A, which forms the most similar prior art and from which a partition wall according to the generic portion of claim 1 can be derived, every wall element is rigidly connected with the assigned column via a connecting element. The column hereby has four grooves, so that wall elements can be connected to it in four different positions which are orthogonal to one another. Furthermore, the possibility of connecting two wall elements with one another so that they are articulated, in that a specific connecting element includes a film hinge, can be inferred from this document.
A problem of known partition walls is the competition between flexibility and strength in the completely assembled partition wall. To improve the flexibility, i.e. to increase the possible positions of the wall elements and columns relative to one another, the number of grooves in the columns is, according to the prior art, increased. However, beyond a certain number of grooves, this results in a weakening of the ribs which border them.
The present invention is designed, for partition walls of the type according to the generic portion, in which wall elements are connected with columns by the use of connecting elements, to improve the flexibility with regard to design and possibilities of use, without simultaneously reducing the strength of the completely assembled partition wall.
To solve this task according to the present invention, it is provided that one of the two clamping flanges of the connecting element is accommodated in the groove assigned so that the flange can be pivoted around its longitudinal axis within a predetermined angular range.
The present invention thus distinguishes itself in that the connection between wall elements and columns is produced via a connecting element which is connected with both the relevant wall element and the relevant column in an essentially identical way, namely in that a clamping flange of the connecting element is accommodated in a groove of the column or of the wall element, respectively. It is hereby characteristic of the partition wall according to the invention that one of the two clamping flanges of the connecting element is non-rotatably accommodated in the groove (of the wall element or the column, respectively) assigned, while in contrast, the other clamping flange is accommodated in the groove (of the column or the wall element, respectively) assigned so that it can pivot around its longitudinal axis within a predetermined angular range. In other words, the connecting element is rigidly connected with one of the two components (wall element or column, respectively), while, in contrast, it has a flexible connection with the other component (column or wall element, respectively). In this way, a certain asymmetry, which is significant for solving the tasks further stated above, is characteristic of the connection of wall elements and columns used in the course of the present invention. In regard to design and usage possibilities, a degree of flexibility of the partition walls previously unknown for partition walls according to the generic portion results via a continuous adjustability due to the articulated connection of the connecting element with one of the components. The column manages with a relatively small number of grooves, in order to cover all typical angular positions, so that the ribs bordering the grooves can be implemented with relatively thick walls. This, like the non-rotatable connection of the connecting element with the other components, ensures that the strength of the completely assembled partition wall is not diminished.
In the framework of the present invention, the accommodation of a clamping flange in the assigned groove so that it can pivot within a predetermined angular range can be assigned to the edge profile of the wall element; in this case, the connecting element is rigidly connected with the column. However, in the same way, it is also possible that the accommodation of a clamping flange so that it can pivot within a predetermined angular range can be assigned to the assigned groove in the column; in this case, the connecting element is rigidly connected with the wall element. Both of the two alternatives are connected with specific advantages, so that one or the other development is preferable depending on the area of application. If, according to the first alternative, the accommodation of a clamping flange in the assigned groove so that it can pivot within a predetermined angular range is assigned to the edge profile of the wall element, the openings of the grooves in the column can be implemented as particularly narrow. In this case, the column is distinguished by a largely closed surface, which is of equal advantage from both structural and aesthetic viewpoints.
The connecting element used in the course of the present invention can be, but does not have to be, designed as symmetrical. In this sense, the two clamping flanges can preferably have an identical cross-section; however, this is not imperative, as will be described below in more detail. At least one of the two clamping flanges preferably has a cross-section which is at least partially circular. This is practical for ensuring the ability of the clamping flange to pivot around its longitudinal axis, with the arrangement of the clamping flange in the assigned groove having the largest possible area.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that a locking element is provided, by means of which the angular position of the connecting element in the groove in which the assigned clamping flange is pivotably accommodated can be fixed. This type of locking element can have many technical and structural realizations. In particular, it can be provided that at least one of the two clamping flanges is slotted and can be expanded by means of an expanding element. It is particularly preferable if the slotted clamping flange has a cylindrical cavity delimited by two springy cheeks. The slot and/or the cylindrical cavity of the round clamping flange hereby serves for accommodation of an expanding element. With this, the relevant round clamping flange can be expanded. If the clamping flange is expanded, the connecting element is fixed in the relevant groove by frictional resistance. The expanding element can hereby particularly be implemented as a twistable (eccentric) toggle. For practical purposes, two stops are hereby provided which delimit the angular range within which the toggle can be twisted, with one stop defining the position of minimum expansion of the relevant clamping flange and the other stop defining the position of maximum expansion. This is shown to be particularly practical in this background when one considers that, due to the assembly situation of the partition wall, it is frequently not possible to visually check the position of the toggle. Other parts could also be considered as expanding elements, such as wedges or conical thorns, which expand the clamping flange when they are inserted axially into the slotted clamping flange and/or possibly into its cavity.
In a particularly preferred further development of the invention, the connecting element is distinguished by at least one slotted, round clamping flange in that the clearance of the slot is at least as large as the difference between the diameter of the clamping flange and the clearance of the opening of the groove which is provided for the flexible accommodation of the connecting element. With this type of coordination between the round clamping flange of the connecting element on one hand and the groove of the wall element or the column, respectively, on the other hand, the round clamping flange can be compressed to such a degree that it can be inserted into the groove through the lateral opening of the groove. In this way, axial insertion of the round clamping flange of the connecting element in the appropriate groove of the wall element or the column, respectively, can be avoided during assembly of the partition wall. Rather, the relevant components can be laterally clipped onto the round clamping flange of the connecting element, which has its non-round clamping flange inserted in a groove of the other component. This is particularly advantageous in regard to subsequent rearrangement of an already assembled partition wall; because in this way, an existing partition wall can be supplemented as desired with further wall elements without previously having to be disassembled and/or dismantled. Only when the wall element or the column, respectively, has been clipped onto the round clamping flange of the connecting element is the expanding element activated in the round clamping flange to expand it, in order to prevent the wall element and/or the column from being pulled laterally away from the connecting element and, possibly, also to ensure fixing of the angle set between the wall element or the column, respectively, and the connecting element.
The connecting element used in the framework of the present invention can, according to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, have an asymmetrical design of a type such that the two connection flanges have different cross-sections available. In this regard, one of the two clamping flanges has available, for practical purposes, a contour which is at least partially round; this is favorable in regard to the pivotability of this clamping flangexe2x80x94referred to in the following as xe2x80x9croundxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94in a corresponding groove of a partition wall component (wall element or column), in which this clamping flange is accommodated. The other clamping flange has available, for practical purposes, a contour which is at least partially non-round; this, in turn, is favorable in regard to a non-pivotable, interlocking, non-rotatable accommodation of this clamping flangexe2x80x94referred to in following as xe2x80x9cnon-roundxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94in a corresponding groove of the other partition wall component (column or wall element), which is to be connected with the first partition wall component using the asymmetrical connecting element. In this regard, the non-round clamping flange of the connecting element can be accommodated in a groove of the column in an interlocking, non-rotatable way, while the round clamping flange of the connecting element is accommodated, in a groove of a connection profile provided on the edge of the wall element, so that it is pivotable within a predetermined angular range around its longitudinal axis. The interlocking, non-rotatable accommodation of the non-round clamping flange of the connecting element in a groove of the column leads to a clear fixing of the connecting element on the column in a predetermined, defined position. In contrast, the accommodation of the round clamping flange of the connecting element in a groove of the connection profile of the wall element so that it can be pivoted within a predetermined angular range around its longitudinal axis leads to a continuously adjustable positioning of the wall element relative to the column as desired within this angular range. It is significant in this connection that, for adequately fixed connection of a wall element with a column, only one connecting element, possibly consisting of several segments arrayed axially, needs to be provided, which makes the pivotability of the wall element around the axis of the round clamping flange of the connecting element possible.
It is noted here only for clarification that, in this connection, the transition region in which each of the clamping flanges merges into the connecting link should not be viewed as xe2x80x9croundxe2x80x9d or as xe2x80x9cnon-roundxe2x80x9d in the sense of the present terminology; rather, it is not considered in the determination of the cross-sectional form of the clamping flange.
As can be inferred from the subsequent explanations, the previously described asymmetrical design of the connecting element is also favorable insofar as it can, under certain circumstances, also be used for the connection of two identically designed wall elements with one another.
The columns usable in the framework of the present invention preferably have a number of identical grooves which are positioned around the circumference of the column with a separation of 45xc2x0. In this case, the predetermined angular range, within which the relevant clamping flange can be pivoted around its longitudinal axis in a groove of the wall element, is particularly preferably xc2x115xc2x0. Each of the basic positions relative to one another (90xc2x0, 135xc2x0, 180xc2x0) of two wall elements attached to the relevant column can, in this case, be enlarged and reduced by a total of 30xc2x0 at a time through the play of xc2x115xc2x0 existing for both wall elements; this means that the two wall elements attached to the column can, in this case, assume any desired angle relative to one another. Specific angular positions (e.g. 120xc2x0) can hereby even be achieved in two ways, namely by enlargement of the 90xc2x0 basic position by two times 15xc2x0, and also by reduction of, for example, the 135xc2x0 basic position by 15xc2x0.
Another preferred further development of the invention is characterized in that, on its side toward the column, the wall element has concave curved bearing surfaces on both sides of the at least one groove. The curvature of the bearing surfaces hereby essentially corresponds to the curvature of the surface of the column between two of the grooves. The predetermined angular range within which the wall element can be pivoted around the longitudinal axis of the relevant clamping flange is hereby delimited by fitting of one of the two bearing surfaces to the surface of the column. Damage to the column and/or the wall element is hereby prevented due to the planar bearing.